Indoor dining was back in New York City Friday for the first time since mid-December.
It was expected to be a big weekend for restaurants with Valentine’s Day on Sunday.
Owners can open indoors but only at 25% capacity. A number of restaurant owners and elected officials got together to call on Governor Cuomo to increase that capacity to 50%. Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams noted that’s what it is for areas near new York City.
“You can’t cross the street in the Bronx and step into Yonkers and act like we are in a different state," he said.
The head of the Latino Restaurant Owners Association said restaurants won’t survive at 25%.
The Hospitality Alliance already estimates that at least 2000 New York City restaurants have closed during the pandemic.